By Tracey Arial
www.thesuburban.com
Congratulations to LaSalle resident Joseph Pugliese, who has won the 2015 Montreal Community Cares Community Organization Award for community leadership.
“I thought it was a crank caller when he called,” said Pugliese, who is thrilled to have won. Now, he’s wondering who kindly nominated him.
The person in charge of the awards, Community Cares founder and Alouettes’ manager Denburk Reid, who also lives in LaSalle, says that person wants to remain anonymous so that the focus stays on Pugliese, who was among six community leaders who will be getting recognition. The others include Simeon Pompey, who also lives in LaSalle, plus Maggie Caruso, Sheila Pinsky, Philippe Tousignant and Jessie Dorélien.
“This is our way of saying thank you from the community,” said Reid. “These individuals aren’t doing it for the recognition, so this is one way that we can say thank you.”
Reid linked the Montreal Community Cares awards with his sports outreach programs during the funeral of a friend of his a few years ago. He says that he was looking for a way to reward individuals and organizations that work hard to improve their communities.
Denburk plans to give out 16 different awards this year, including the six going to Pugliese and the other community leaders.
Other winners include:
• Community organizations Games for Hope in Laval, Otis Grant and Friends Foundation in Dorval and CFAD (which supports mother and daughter inmates) in the Southwest borough,
• Student athletes Kimberly St. Felix and Chloé Lanteigne;
• Paul Frappier Youth leaders Alissa Rutman, Aiesha Robinson and Pearl Amiran; and
• Life-time achievement award winners Johnny Montanaro and Reverend Darryl Gray.
The awards will be presented in Montreal at Club Soda on May 28 during the annual Greater Montreal Community Cares Gala. VIP tickets cost $125, regular ones cost $75 and students pay $40. Tickets can be purchased at Club Soda or online at montrealcommunitycares.com/galatickets/
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